How to get a close shave from an old blade

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by JACK RYAN

Would you believe me if I told you that I've been shaving with the same Gillette Platinum-Plus razor blade every morning ... for about a year? It's true! And it doesn't look as though that blade needs to be replaced even yet.

No, I don't own a plastic pyramid and I don't believe that the "power of the universe" flows through me or my home. There's no magic in what I've done . . . I've just found a way to make my razor blade last a good deal longer than normal. Here's how:

Each morning, I begin by washing my face with plenty of ordinary soap and water. After rinsing off, I then immediately lather my beard from my shaving mug and start shaving. When I've finished, I wipe excess soap off my skin with a very wet washcloth (a process which re-moistens my face) . . . then I shave again, this time pulling my razor in the opposite direction. Afterwards, I rinse and go about my business.

I liken my technique to the double-lather procedure most folks use when washing their hair. The first dab of shampoo doesn't appear to do much (it certainly doesn't produce much in the way of suds) . . . but when you rinse and lather up a second time, the suds billow. The soap with which I wash my face before shaving is analogous to the first dab of shampoo: It doesn't appear to do anything ... but I think that in fact it must loosen or remove a water-repellent layer of dirt and grease, after which the shaving cream can really get in and wet the beard (sort of like the second application of shampoo). A thoroughly wet beard, of course, is softer than a barely moist one ... and thus doesn't require as sharp a cutting edge.